The Glion Human Rights Dialogue 2023 (Glion IX): Placing new and emerging technologies at the service of human rights and democracy: what role for the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms?

On 25-26 May 2023, the Government of the Republic of Korea and the Universal Rights Group hosted the 9th edition of the Glion Human Rights Dialogue, designed to provide an open platform for dialogue and fresh thinking on the most pressing human rights issues of our time. The Dialogue took place at the Hotel Victoria in Glion, Switzerland.

The title of the 2023 Glion Human Rights Dialogue (Glion IX) was: ‘Placing new and emerging technologies at the service of human rights and democracy: what role for the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms?’ A December 2022 policy report by the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea, the Universal Rights Group (URG), and the Seoul National University AI Policy Initiative (SAPI), highlighted an important ‘paradox’ in the context of new and emerging technologies (NETs), namely that the same technologies can have both positive and negative impacts on human rights. The report proposed a human rights-based approach to new and emerging technologies, presented as as a starting point for possible future work.

At Glion IX, participants discussed questions including:

• Technology, human rights, democracy, and the role of the Human Rights Council and the UN human rights system: taking stock and learning lessons.
• Normative guidance and frameworks – what guidance, self-regulatory, and regulatory frameworks exist to help promote/ensure a rights-based approach to the conception, design, roll-out and operation of NETs
• What further roles can the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms, and the wider UN human
  rights system, play in placing NETs at the service of human rights and democracy?

The Glion Human Rights Dialogue is a retreat-style event bringing together around 50 human rights practitioners and thinkers. It is designed to provide an optimal atmosphere for honest and frank exchange, and new and innovative thinking. The meeting is held under the ‘Chatham House rule.’